Load lifting and discharging apparatus



June 20, 1933- C CARMILLET 1,914,711.

LOAD LIFTING AND DISCHARGING APPARATUS Filed Oct-. 2, 1950 5 Sheets-Shet 1 June 20, 1933. c CARMILLET 1,914,711

LOAD LIFTING AND DISCHARGING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 2, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 InvenTor BB ocarmiuet WWW Afforness June 20, 1933. c CARMILLET 1,914,711

LOAD LIFTING AND DISCHARGING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 2, 1950 5 Shets-Sheet 3 EEK].

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LOAD LIFTING AND DISCHARGING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 2, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 //VVf/V7'0/P 09/7/71 ES CiRM/AL 57' ,wro/m fys June 20, 1933. c CARMILLET 1,914,711

LOAD LIFTING AND DISCHARGING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 2, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented June 20, 1933 PATENT OFFICE CHARLES CARMILLET, OF PARIS, FRANCE LOAD LIF'I'ING AND DISCHARGING APPARATUS Application filed October 2, 1930. Serial No. 485,857.

The present invention relates to apparatus for the lifting or the upright setting of loads whether compact or elongated, as well as for their discharge, said apparatus being of reduced size, light weight and easily handled. Said apparatus requires no stays or braces, and it can be controlled by one or two men. The apparatus may be adapted for a ready displacement, and in certain cases it will serve for the transportation of loads.

The said apparatus consists essentially of a pivoted frame having a general triangular shape, two sides of the triangle having a rigid construction whilst the base can be lengthened or shortened at will by means of a suitable controlling device in order to move the two sides together or apart, thus raising or lowering the apeX of the triangle to which the load to be lifted is secured.

The base of said triangular frame may have any construction by which its length may be varied, and this can be effected by various devices under manual or motor control such as chain or cable drums, pivoted lever device, mechanisms operating by screws, rack and pinion or set of levers, this enumeration being descriptive and not limitative.

The said apparatus is chiefly adapted for setting up objects of some length, and for instance for placing poles, lamp posts and the like upon their foundations or bases. For this purpose, the invention comprises a particular form of construction in which one of the rigid uprights of the triangular frame which supports the object to be set up, suitably secured thereto, is pivoted at the lower part to a fixed base plate to which the operating cable is attached, in such manner that the winding of the cable upon a drum rotatable on the other rigid upright will draw the second upright towards the first, whereby the top part of the frame will be raised until the object to be set up has assumed the ver tical position.

In this particular case, in conformity to the invention, an automatic brake is employed with the pivoted frame in order to prevent the accidental descent of the device which might take place, and chiefly in case of breakage of the operating cable.

The said apparatus is also applicable to the lifting of various loads and in particular for the raising of motor vehicles and for the loading and unloading of objects such as casks, cases and various material.

As above stated, the said lifting apparatus may also be given the form of an apparatus serving at the same time for the transportation of loads, and herein the pivoted frame is mounted upon a vehicle frame provided with carrying wheels.

The invention has further for its object a truck for handling goods, which is essentially characterized by the fact that the side beam or beams of the platform of the apparatus load about the said axle.

In the accompanying drawings and by way of example:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of the apparatus according to the invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of a construction of said apparatus as employed for the vertical setting of a lamp post.

Fig. 3 shows the pivoted frame on a larger scale.

Fig. 4 is an end view of the winch actuating device.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the device shown in Fi 4.

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view showing the operation in this particular case.

Figs. 7, 8, and 9 are respectively, front, side and plan views of another construction.

Figs. 10, 11,12 and 13 are diagrams showing the different steps in the operation of this apparatus.

Fig. 14 is a front view of the automatic brake which is mounted at the pivoting point of the uprights of the device shownin Figs. 2 to 5.

Fig. 15 is aside view corresponding to Fig. 14, with a partial vertical section.

Fig. 16 shows the connection between the brake and the operating cable.

Fig. 17 is a detail view on a larger scale.

In accordance with the preceding considerations, the lifting and discharging appara tus consists of a triangular frame (Fig. 1) comprising two inclined members or uprights 1 and 2 of rigid construction which are pivoted together atthe top 0, and of a base portion 3 which may be lengthened or shortened, and may consist of a cable which is wound upon a drum 4 rotatable at the end A of the upright 1 and attached at the other end to a point B of the upright. To the upright 1 is secured the load M to be handled. At the point B may be mounted carrying wheels 6, whilst the point A is supported by one or two rollers 5.

The operation of the apparatus isas follows.

The drum 4 is rotated by suitable means 7, thus winding the cable 3 upon said drum, so that the uprights 1 and 2 will be moved towards one another, the point A remaining stationary due to the friction taking place upon the roller 5. In this movement, the apex O is displaced upon an arc of a circle mm whose center isA, thus raising the load M as shown in the dotted lines in Fig. 1 (position A O B).

If on the contrary the apparatus is to be i used for unloading purposes, the operation is carried out in the contrary direction. Vhen starting the load M is in the upper position, and when the cable 3 is unwound, the upright spreads out and the apex descends, until the device has practically the horizontal position.

In the construction shown in Figs. 2 to 1, the apparatus, which serves chiefly for handling poles or lamp-posts comprises a frame, one of whose rigid uprights consists of a steel tube 1 upon which is mounted a cradle consisting of two iron bars 89 which are bent into U shape and are secured to said tube by collars 10 and 11.

Said cradle is pivoted, by two removable axles 12, to the ends of two arms 2 forming the second rigid upright and at the lower end of said arms is mounted an axle 13 and two vehicle wheels 14.

The said tube 1 is mounted at the bottom part in a collar 15 which is pivoted to a base plate 16, positioned on the ground adjacent the hole or the base-used for the pole or lamp-post P.

The arms 2 carry at their lower ends plates 17 interconnected by a link 17a and supporting a hollow shaft 18. Two winch drums 19 are mounted on the shaft 18. Another arm 2a is connected at one end with the arm 2, while the other end of the arm 2a istjoined to the link 17a by means of a plate 17. These parts form a frame which supports a gear comprising a pinion 2O keyed to the axle 13 of the adjacent wheel 14. A toothed wheel 20a engaging the pinion 20 is keyed to a shaft 21 which is firmly connected with a pinion 206. A toothed wheel 20c meshing with the pinion 20b is rotatably mounted on the axle 13 and is connected by a sleeve 22a with a chain wheel 22 which carries a chain 22?) passing over a chain wheel 220. The wheel 220 is keyed to the shaft- 18 which carries the drums 19, so that said drums are actuated by the wheel 22. The winch formed by these parts is actuated by means of two hand levers 24-, fixed to the two extremities of the axles 13 close to the outer sides of the wheels 14. The levers 24: are interconnected by means of a shaft 25 situated within the hollow shaft 18 and also by means of two chains 26. Ca-

bles 3 are wound on the drums 19, as shown in 2, the ends of these cables being attached to the plate 16 by open hooks 23.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows The pole or post P is placed on the ground (Fig. 6) near its supporting base or its hole, and it raised about 20 centimeters by blocks 27 positioned at the center of gravity. The

IQIHO RblO axles 12 being taken out, the two wheels 14 and the two arms 2 are brought about the upper end of the pole, the shaft 18 extending below the said pole. The tube 1' is brought around the lower end of the pole,

together with cradle 89 and the base plate 16. The said cradle is provided with a suitable bearing member having the shape of the pole, and this latter is held to it by a collar, not shown. The pole is also held at its bottom part in a collar 28 pivoted to the base plate 16 which is laid at the edge of the hole, the tube'l being placed lengthwise below the said pole. The axles 12 are used to connect cradle 8-9 to arms 2, then unwinding the cables 3 which are attached to the base plate 16. r

The cables being stretched by means of the drum, the whole apparatus is positioned in such manner as to bring the base plate 16 exactly into place tion for planting the post P, and in this position the pivoting points of cables 0 and the axis of rotation of the axles 12 will have between them the angle A O B.

relatively to the final posi- When the workmen turn the cranks 24:,

the collars holding the post in place are loosened. The apparatus can be readily moved from one post to another, after the manner of a hand cart. It can be readily drawn in the rear of the vehicle used to transport the posts or poles, and owing to its small size it will not encumber the streets.

In order to obviate all accidental descent of the device during the work, which may occur chiefly in the case of breakage of a cable, an automatic brake may be employed to advantage with the pivoting frame.

For this purpose, a plate 36 is mounted on the end of the arm 2 of the lifting apparatus; for this purpose the said plate has at its centre a socket 37 provided at the lower part with an appendage 38 which is secured to the arm 2. The end of the bar 8 (corresponding to the cradle 89 above described) has secured thereto a second plate 39 by screws 40. In the present example, a friction disk 41 of leather or the like is mounted on said plate 39. The removable axle 12 has a smooth part 12a rotatable in the socket 37 of the plate 36 and a threaded part 12?) which is screwed into the hub of the plate 39. At the end of this threaded part is mounted a key 120 known per se, by which the whole device is held together.

The axle carries at its other end a ratchet wheel 42. Upon a boss 36a of the plate 36 is pivotally mounted, by means of an axle 43, a pawl 44; a spring strip 45 is secured by screws 46 to the side of said boss and it urges said pawl against the ratchet wheel 42. Said pawl has a rear appendage 44a to which is attached a flexible sheathed cable 47 which tends to draw the said pawl out of engagement with the teeth of the ratchet wheel, and this cable which is suitably guided along the arm 2 is attached at its other end to a compensating spring 48 whose force exceeds that of the spring 45. This latter is secured at its other end to an eye-piece 49 in which the cable 3 of the lifting apparatus is slidable. As shown in Fig. 17 said eye-piece 49 is surrounded on its whole peripheryby a coiled spring 50 by which the sliding o f the cable 3 is facilitated. i

The operation of said spring device is as follows: i

In normal working conditions, in which the cable 3 is stretched, the pawl 44 is held out of engagement with the ratchet wheel 42, in the position. shown by the full lines in the drawings (Fig. 14). If the lifting apparatus is operated by drawing in the usual manner upon the cable 3, the arms 8 and 2 will turn about the axle 12, and in this movement the plate 39 tends to be unscrewed from the threaded part 12a and it makes contact by its hub with the key 120, so that thefriction plate 41 will be held out of contact with the inner face of the disk 36. On the other hand, the plate 39 thus held in position will rotate the axle 12 in the socket 57 of the plate 36, and hence the ratchet 42 will turn freely. In case of rupture of the cable 3, the eye-piece 49 will be at once released, and the pawl 44 which is now set free will engage the ratchet wheel 42 under the action of its spring 45, thus having the position shown by the dotand-dash lines in the drawings (Fig. 14). Due to the breakage of the cable 3, the up rights 2 and 8, if they have now been raised to a certain height, will tend to spread apart under their own weight and the weight of the load. At this time the axle 12 is secured to the plate 36 by means of the ratchet 42 and the pawl 44, and hence it is enabled to rotate by its threaded part 12?) in the plate 39. The plates 36 and 39 now come together, whereby the pressure of the plate 36 upon the friction disk 41 is rapidly increased, so that the apparatus will be stopped after the uprights 8 and 2 have been only slightly spread apart.

As observed, the said plates may be unprovided with an intermediate friction disk, and herein their inner surfaces will be of such nature as to obtain the necessary friction. On the other hand, the brake device may be made double, and a like device will thus be mounted at each pivoting point of the two arms 2 of the lifting apparatus and of the corresponding bars 8.

In the modifications shown in Figs. 7 to 13, the side beam or beams 29 form the base or platform of the vehicle and rest upon the supporting axle 30 having one or two wheels 31. In a preferred construction, the ends of the side beams 29 extend outwardly of the center of the axle 30 of the wheels 31 by a distance which is less than their radius. The load which may be herein placed upon the cradles 32 will thus be brought to the front of the supporting axle 30.

The side beams 29 are connected to the supporting axle 30 by levers 33 which are pivoted at their respective ends to said axle 30 and to the side beams 29. Between these latter and said levers 33 are mounted elastic connecting members 34 which may consist of rubber cord, pivoted links provided with sprlngs (as herein represented) bent springs whose branches are respectively connected to the corresponding beams 29 and lever 33, etc. Such elastic connections are known per se, but they must act in such manner that the angle a between side beams 29 and levers 33 will be reduced to a minimum, and herein gle side beams rest upon the supporting axle This position is shown in Figs. 7 and 10, in which the vehicle, with or without load, is in the traveling position. The side beams employed for traction may be horizontal or more or less inclined with reference to this direction.

To unload the apparatus, side beams 29 are raised in such manner that they will be moved around axle 30 (Fig. 11) thus the pivoting point 35 of each side beam 29 with the corresponding lever 33 will describe a circular are w 90 ab out the axis 30 of the wheels 31. At the same time, the center of gravity of the whole apparatus will rise vertically, and the vertical line passing through the center of gravity comes near the vertical line y-y passing through the axis 30 of Wheels 31.

When the vertical line passing through the center of gravity has cleared the line yy the weight of the load produces power, and it thus increases the angle a between the side beams 29 and the levers 33, and thus the elastic connecting members 34 will be subjected to tension. Thus the members 34 will hold back the load on its descent, and the load is stopped when the rear end of the side beams makes contact with the ground; the angle a has now its maximum value, and the point 35 is at the end of its stroke upon its circular path (Fig. 13).

After the apparatus has been loaded, it can be returned to position by the inverse operation, but herein the elastic connections 34 will aid in the functioning, as they act in such manner as to bring the angle a to its original value, and the sidebeams will again rest upon the axle 30. 7

On the other hand, when the center of gravity has passed beyond the vertical line g-g intersecting the axis 30 of the wheels 31, the weight of the whole apparatus will tend to bring the side beams 29 upon the support consisting of the axle 30.

The said apparatus, which facilitates the loading and the unloading operations, has another advantage consisting in the fact that it does not extend in the rear of the wheels 31, and thus the apparatus has a reduced size, and it is enabled to circulate and to turn about with great facility.

The vehicle may be pushed forward by giving to the links 33 symmetrical positions, relati'vely to the vertical axis 1 l with the positions which it occupies when subjected to traction.

Obviously the said invention isnot limited to the constructional forms herein-described and represented, and it is susceptibleof all dispositions by which it may be put in use for the purposes for which it is employed, and of which several examples have been above i ndicated. As a particular case, for the loading and unloading of small-sized objects,'it may assume the form of a transporting vehicle or truck according to the principle shown in Fig. 1.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for setting up elongated objects, comprising in combination, a rigid member for carrying the objects, arms on said member, said arms proj ecting above said objects, a movable member, uprights connected with the second-mentioned member,

end of said member, U-shaped arms projecting above said objects and carried by said member at the other end thereof, movable uprights, removable axles connecting said uprights with said arms, shafts connected with said uprights, the objects being moved between said shafts, wheels mounted on said shafts, and means for moving the secondmentioned member towards the first-mentioned member while the objects are being set.

3. Apparatus for setting up elongated objects, comprising in combination, a rigid member for carrying the objects, arms on said member, said arms projecting above said objects, a movable member, upright-s connected with the second-mentionedmember,removable axles connecting said uprights with said arms, shafts connected with said uprights, the objects being moved between said shafts, wheels mounted on said shafts, a winch mounted on one of said members, and cables carried by said winch and connected with the other of said members, for the purpose of moving the second-mentioned mem- 4. Apparatus for setting up elongated objects, comprising in combination, a member for carrying the objects, a base carrying one end of said member, u-shaped arms projecting above said objects and carried by said member at the other end thereof, movable uprights, removable axles connecting said uprights with said arms, shafts connected with said uprights, the objects being moved betweensaid shafts, wheels mounted on said shafts, a winch comprising cranks connected with said shafts, and cables connected with said base.

5. Apparatus for setting up elongated objects, comprising in combination, a rigid member for carrying the objects, arms on said member, said arms projecting above said objects, a movable member, uprights connected with the second-mentioned member, rcmovable axles connecting said uprights with said arms, shafts connected with said uprights, the objects being moved between said shafts, wheels mounted on said shafts,

a winch mounted on one of said members,

cables carried by said winch and connected with the other of saidmembers, for the purpose of moving the second-mentioned member, a brake comprising plates connected with said uprights, a ratchet-Wheel carried by each of said axles, a, pawl cooperating with said ratchet-Wheel, and a spring for locking said ratchet-Wheel by means of said pawl in the case of breakage of one of said cables,

In testimony whereof I a ifix my signature.-

GHARLES CARMlLLETi 

